Top 3 Relapse Prevention Coping Skills: Relapse Prevention Techniques For Substance Abuse

When it comes to overcoming addiction, the hardest part can be maintaining sobriety through relapse prevention activities after the initial detox and inpatient treatment. During treatment, and through resources like AA and NA meetings, you may hear a lot of suggestions for particularly helpful relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse, but what works for some, doesn’t always work for others. In this article, we are going to take a look at the top 3 relapse prevention coping skills, and how incorporating them into your treatment plan can help you maintain sobriety.

Relapse Prevention Coping Skills

Coping Skill #3: Meditating

While meditating can be hard for some, it can be a great way to center yourself, relax, and let go of the cravings and triggers in your life. In fact, meditating is one of the most common relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse. This is because it leaves the recovering addict alone with their thoughts, giving them the chance to step back from immediately impulses to create a better mindset for the remaining day.

One of the main reasons people generally relapse, is because of quick and impulsive decisions to give in to the cravings that they experience on a regular basis. By taking the time to examine the life and their current situation objectively, recovering addicts make a conscious decision to focus on their goals, healthy relapse prevention activities, and their sobriety as a whole.

Coping Skill #2: Putting Together a Sober Support System

Sober support systems can be anything from a group of close sober friends, to a homegroup at an Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous meeting. The primary focus of a sober support group is to be an outlet for recovering addicts, one where they can seek advice, and talk openly, and without judgment, about what they are going through currently.

While it may be hard for some to find people they are comfortable sharing with openly, utilizing community relapse prevention activities can make finding a sober support group much easier than it would otherwise be. It is highly recommended that people getting involved with sober communities so that they have better access to the support they need.

Coping Skill #1: Breathing Exercises

For many, breathing exercises may sound like too simple of a solution to a seemingly complex problem, but studies have shown time and time again that incorporating breathing exercises can greatly reduce stress, emotional outbursts, and poor decisions making. All of these things contribute to relapses. An example of incorporating breathing exercises into your relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse would be: taking a moment to relax before acting on an impulse craving, breathing and settling when faced with a triggering situation, using breathing exercises to focus when acute withdrawal symptoms start to play a role in your life, and using them to calm yourself when the recovery seems like too large of a task. Overall breathing exercises can seem relatively simple when compared to other relapse prevention activities, but their effectiveness is what brings so many people to advocate it.

When it comes to recovering from addiction issues, having a proper relapse prevention plan can make a huge difference. And while alone each of these relapse prevention activities may seem small and inconsequential, when you add them all to your regular routine you get a more cohesive and practical relapse prevention plan that can work wonders for someone fresh out substance abuse treatment.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.

About the Author

is a proud alumni member of WhiteSands Treatment. After living a life of chaos, destruction and constant let downs, Mark was able to make a complete turnaround that sparked a new way of life. He is serious about his recovery along with helping others. At WhiteSands Treatment, we offer support to you in your homes or when you are out living in your daily lives.